Brazilian loggers take over retired UHF MilSat

In the heart of the Amazon, amidst the dense foliage and the symphony of nature's whispers, a silent revolution unfolds one that transcends borders, defies regulations, and challenges the very essence of communication.

At the centre of this enigma lies the tale of the South American satellite pirates, a clandestine network of individuals who have ingeniously tapped into retired UHF MilSat bands to extend their radio range deep into the heart of the rainforest.

Brazilian loggers have employed 2m radios modified with frequency doublers and directional antennas, turning the once-secret communication channels of the U.S. Navy Satcom uplink frequencies (280-310MHz) into conduits for their own purposes.

Dubbed "Bolinha" or "little ball" by its users, the FLTSATCOM geo-sync satellites, once a pinnacle of military communication prowess, now find themselves unwitting accomplices in this subversive endeavour.

What began as a means for Brazilian loggers to enhance their radio range has evolved into a phenomenon that spans the breadth of Brazilian society. Truck drivers, seeking superior communication capabilities in remote regions beyond the reach of traditional infrastructure, flock to these satellites. Rogue loggers, wary of authorities encroaching on their illicit activities, deploy them as covert communication channels to evade detection. Drug dealers, organized crime factions, and ordinary citizens alike have found utility in this illicit network, transforming it into an integral part of the Brazilian communication landscape.

Nationwide Fault Causes Delays Across Rail Network

A "nationwide fault" has caused major disruption across at least 10 lines of the UK's rail network, National Rail says.

National Rail blamed the issue on the radio system used between train drivers and signalers.

The issue has now been fixed, but residual delays may continue while the timetable is restored.

Services in and out of England's major transport hubs, including Manchester Piccadilly, London Paddington and Southampton Central, were affected.

Great Northern, Northern, ScotRail, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway, Thameslink, Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line were all impacted.

Travel expert Simon Calder told BBC Radio 5Live that Friday morning had been "a miserable rush hour for a lot of people".

National Rail said the issue appears to be a fault with the onboard GSMR radio system, which is used to communicate in case of emergencies.

The BBC understands the cause of the fault has been located and has been fixed.

To ease disruption prior to this, a back-up system was being used instead.

Network Rail said the issue was mainly affecting trains at the start or end of the day, which a spokesperson said was "causing a few minutes of delay at the start of the day".

But "once up-and-running the system is working normally and the impact on passengers is minimal," it added.

Even though the problem has now been fixed, National Rail said there may be some residual disruption while timetables are restored.

Hamsci Launches Free Quarterly Newsletter

There's always something fascinating going on with the citizen science team at HamSCI and now there's a new way to keep track of what they're up to.

The amateur radio citizen science investigation team known as HamSCI has begun publishing a new quarterly newsletter focusing on hams and the scientific community.

The newsletter, which is delivered as a free download, contains updates on ongoing projects and any related activities.

HamSCI's founder, Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, expects that the new publication will enhance communication among supporters and observers.

In addition to bringing readers up to date on various projects, the inaugural issue features a number of profiles of volunteers deeply involved in HamSCI's work, including data analyst Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL. The WSPR enthusiast has been deeply involved in various propagation studies.

HamSCI - http://www.hamsci.org/newsletter